she is the words that I can't find
by leonettetyrell
Summary: In which André realizes, almost too late, that he's in love with Cat.  Written for a challenge at the Victorious Awards Forum.


"Sing another song for me," she says.  
>So he does, because he can't resist her innocent smile and giggles.<p>

(&)

"What's up, little Red?"  
>"The sky, silly. Why didn't you look up there?"<br>"I was busy working on a song for you."  
>"Oh, a song! What's it about? Unicorns?"<p>

And he makes a mental note to put a line about unicorns into the song.

(&)

When he plays her the song a week later, she squeals and hugs him right away.  
>He thinks that he's never been so happy because she's squeezing the air out of his lungs and damnit he thinks he's falling in love with her, to be frank.<p>

She thanks him and giggles at every other thing he says because that's what people who can't tell funny jokes do.  
>They laugh at each other because no one else will.<p>

She runs home from his place and he realizes in that second that he wants to follow her.

So he does.

(&)

He catches up to her at an intersection but she steps off the curb at the wrong time and suddenly everything is wrong.

Her blood and her hair seep together and André can't tell them apart.  
>Jesus Christ, is that a bone sticking through her arm?<br>He pushes and pushes but it seems like an eternity until he finally reaches her through the crowd that quickly formed around her.

He cradles his arms around her and sings her song and prays fervently that he'll wake up from this nightmare.  
>He's distantly aware that someone's called 911 and help is one the way.<p>

Cat's eyes flutter open for a brief second, and she mutters:  
>"André…your song…"<br>And he tries his hardest not to cry when he says:  
>"It doesn't matter right now. Let's get you better, Little Red, ok? Help is on the way. Don't leave me. I need you."<br>"I'll…I'll try. For you."

(&)

He visits her as soon as they open her room to visitors.  
>(And he wonders where her goddamn family is. Their daughter could've died.)<p>

"Hey Little Red. How are you feeling?"  
>"Better now. They gave me rainbows and unicorns to color. But it's hard because I have this cast on," as she raises her left arm.<br>"Do you want to sign it?"  
>"Sure."<p>

And it says:  
>"To my bravest hero, I love you. André."<p>

When she reads it, she cries.  
>(And he can't help but think <em>what the fuck did I do?<em>)

"Why are you crying, Little Red?"  
>"Because there's no way you love me like I love you."<br>He's taken aback.  
>He didn't expect for things to move so quickly, especially considering, y'know, that she was hit by a car just a few hours ago!<p>

"Cat, I need you more than I even need music sometimes. I realized today that I was falling in love with you- that's why I chased after you. Thank God I did. It took you getting hit by a car for me to realize how fully precious you are to me, and I want you to know that. Whatever you go through, I'll be standing by your side."

She cries harder, but he thinks it's because she's happy this time.  
>"André, I love you more than I love unicorns."<p>

And he smiles as he leans in for a kiss.  
>And for a moment everything's right and beautiful- but these moments don't last.<p>

She falls asleep smiling. She dies, smiling.

(&)

"Code White, Code White! Pediatric patient suffering from internal bleeding!"  
>André wakes up with a start as doctors and nurses flood into Cat's room and it seems like a bijillion needles are coming out of nowhere.<br>He's trying to push through a crowd again, but this time RNs hold him back while the MDs do their work.

Throughout it all, she doesn't wake up from her dreams, where she smiles inwardly and outwardly.

The doctors fail to locate and stop the bleeding in enough time.  
>By the time they do, it's too late. Cat's heart has stopped, and nothing they can do will awaken her.<p>

André cries, because it was supposed to be forever and a day, not just a day.

(&)

He wears red to her funeral and doesn't look at her parents except to glare at them.

He wears red, and in his pocket is a unicorn's horn made of paper and a paper towel roll, because deep down he knows that Cat's looking at him from heaven (that's where she is, she was too perfect to go anywhere else). And that's what she would have wanted- to be remembered as the vivacious teenager with a love for life, not another teenage tragedy.

He loves her for it.

**Fin.**

**A/N: **Written for a challenge by Ava (Lovely_Amelie) where I had to write about a ship where I couldn't understand why other people ship them.

Ok, real business now. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? ALL I CAN WRITE IS ANGST.  
>I better write something fluffy soon, because I might kill someone from an angst overload.<br>A special shout-out to InsaneBlueberry, because I know this is her favorite ship and she's the one who writes the most Candré on here. So, if you like Candré, look her up!  
>Reviews are love. Love makes the world go around. Don't stop the world from spinning.<p> 


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